Changing Aspirations Is Hard

Categories: Board Member Roles · Board, Board Chair, ED/CEO RolesTags: · · · · Leave a comment

I spoke to a CEO who was brought in to make changes. The organization was being passed over for funding. The previous CEO had been there a long time, had created an aspirational vision for the organization, and was well liked by staff. Board and staff had embraced the aspirational goals of the previous CEO. The new CEO had to lead board and staff to embrace a new vision. Be Clear About a New CEO’s Mandate As told by a nonprofit CEO somewhere in the USA. When you come into a job as a new CEO, there are all kinds… Read more

Changing Course for More Impact

Categories: Board Member Roles · Board, Board Chair, ED/CEO RolesTags: · · · · Leave a comment

How a Supportive Relationship Between Board Chair and ED Led to Successful Change By a Dedicated Board Member, Somewhere in USA I was board chair when the organization made a big shift in its work to drive more community impact. To me, the most interesting thing that came out of that experience is the reflection that leadership and management are very different skills. When an organization decides to go through significant change, it is often a charismatic, high-energy leader who initiates it, gets people inspired, and drives it forward. But often a really inspirational leader still may not have the… Read more

When Founders Stick Around

Categories: Board Member Roles · Founder Transitions · Good Board Practices · Succession PlanningTags: · · · · · · · · 5 Comments

I shared a story about a board that needed to become more professional in how they chose board officers. From its founding, the organization was very casual about how who stepped into leadership. As a result, they did not always get individuals best suited for each role. And, they discovered that a casual process can create uncomfortable situations. Organizations and boards go through stages as they grow and mature. The way things are done and the roles people have change over time. In this post, I share a story from an individual who was the second Executive Director of an… Read more

An Executive Director Search that Went Wrong

Categories: Board Member Roles · Good Board Practices · Hiring ED or CEO · Succession PlanningTags: · · · · · · · · · · · · · 3 Comments

This post is my fourth in a series about hiring a new CEO or Executive Director. The first post talks about a successful process. The second post addresses how the outgoing ED should be involved. The third post talks about the need for diversity on the search committee to avoid unexpected bias. In this post, the board member reflects on racial and gender bias and a flawed process where a close decision was rushed without examining objections to the candidate. Strategies for Getting the Right Person for Your Organization By a Dedicated Board Member, Somewhere in USA These events happened… Read more

Unexpected Bias Reveals Need for Diversity

Categories: Board Member Roles · Board, Board Chair, ED/CEO Roles · Good Board Practices · Hiring ED or CEO · Succession PlanningTags: · · · · · · · · · · · · 2 Comments

This post is the third in a series about hiring a new CEO or Executive Director. The first post is the story about an effective search that resulted in a great CEO. The second post included three stories which explored how the outgoing Executive Director might be (or not be) involved in the search process. This post tells a story about a new President of a community college – a minority, immigrant woman — who faced challenges after being hired. The board chair sadly recognized that race and gender bias were a big issue. He acknowledged that had he and… Read more